Locating arrangement for the moving contact carrier of a relay

ABSTRACT

A relay of the type having split housings, which support fixed contacts, associated with and divergently movable with respect to a base and to each other so as to allow introduction and servicing of a reciprocally movable contact carrier including a locating arrangement which is operative with the housings in the divergent open condition to limit the position of the movable contact carrier with respect to the housings so that upon the convergent closed condition of the housings being attained the moving contacts of the movable contact carrier are properly oriented with respect to the fixed contacts of the housing.

United States Patent 1 Wenzel 51 Mar. 27, 1973 [21] Appl. No.2 175,942

[52] US. Cl ..200/l66 BC [51] Int. Cl ..H0lh 1/20, HOlh 1/32 [58] Field of Search....200/l66 BC, 168 R; 335/11 S,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Kane ..335/132 3,451,018

Di Marco 3,501 ,717 3/1970 Schubring et a1 ..200/166 BC X Primary Examinerl-l. 0. Jones AttarneyPhilip J. Zrimsek et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A relay of the type having split housings, which support fixed contacts, associated with and divergently movable with respect to a base and to each other so as to allow introduction and servicing of a reciprocally movable contact carrier including a locating arrangement which is operative with the housings in the divergent open condition to limit the position of the movable contact carrier with respect to the housings so that upon the convergent closed condition of the housings being attained the moving contacts of the movable contact carrier are properly oriented with respect to the fixed contacts of the housing.

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDmzmzs v 3,7 3,5 9

sum 1 or 2 INVENTOR LYLE J. WENZEL,

PATENTEUMRM 197s SHEET 2 BF 2 illmhlli I N VEN TOR.

LYLE J. WENZEL 6 TORNEY.

LOCATING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE MOVING CONTACT CARRIER OF A RELAY The present invention finds application in a relay of the split housing type wherein the moving contacts of a reciprocally movable contact carrier are arranged to be associated with fixed contacts supported by the split housings. Further, the invention is related to such a relay wherein the split housings are divergently movable with respect to each other and a base so as to allow for the assembly and disassembly of the movable contact carrier. More specifically, the invention is directed to means for properly locating the movable contact carrier with the housings while in the divergent open condition and during movement of the housings to the convergent closed condition so as to assure proper orientation of the moving contacts of the movable contact carrier with the fixed contacts of the housings.

Split housing type relays as generally described above are well-known in the art. Usually, such relays are of a form wherein the reciprocally movable contact carrier is biased outwardly in the at rest condition and is moved inwardly against the bias upon being actuated by the electromagnetic structure of the relay, thereby changing the condition of the relay contacts. However, problems can arise in such relays during initial assembly of the movable contact carrier and upon later servicing of the movable contact carrier and/or the associated electromagnetic structure whereby the movable contact carrier is inadvertently moved, manually or otherwise, to an inward position upon convergent movement of the housings to the closed condition. Where such an inward positioning of the movable contact carrier is encountered, a misorientation of the moving contacts of the movable contact carrier with the fixed contacts of the housings can arise. Specifically, the moving contact of a normally open pole can become entrapped below the fixed contacts thereof thereby giving rise to a normally closed pole. It will be appreciated that such a situation can introduce all sorts of problems in the system in which the relay is utilized.

I have discovered a unique expedient to preclude the situation just described from taking place. Thus in a relay of the type under consideration means are provided to limit inward movement of the movable contact carrier while the housings are in the divergent open condition and during movement of the housings to the convergent closed condition. Such locating means can be integrally formed with the base-housings combination whereby relative movement therebetween which gives rise to the divergent and convergent conditions also introduces a travel limiting stop into and out of, respectively, the path of normal inward movement of the movable contact carrier. Alternatively, the locating means can involve a discrete travel limiting stop which is in the path of normal inward movement of the movable contact carrier with the housing in the divergent open condition but which is cammed out of such path with the housings in the convergent closed condition. Embodiments of both of these approaches are disclosed herein.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a locating arrangement for the movable contact carrier of a split housing type relay whereby the movable contact carrier can not be assembled improperly 'with respect to the remainder of the structure, so as to thereby preclude misorientation of the moving contacts with the fixed contacts.

This and other objects will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and appended claims taken in conjunction with the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a split housing relay incorporating a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 in the divergent open condition allowing for servicing of the movable contact carrier and associated electromagnetic structure;

FIG. 3 is a view of a split housing relay known in the prior art wherein the movable contact carrier can be improperly positioned with the housings in the divergent open condition such that upon the housings being moved to the convergent closed condition, improper orientation of the moving contacts with the fixed contacts results;

FIG. 4 is a partial front view of the relay incorporating the first embodiment of the invention and showing the housings in the divergent open condition;

FIG. 5 is a partial front view of the relay incorporating the first embodiment of the invention and showing the housings in a partially convergent closed condition with the locating means about to be moved out of the path of the moving contact carrier;

FIG. 6 is a perspective partial view of a split housing relay showing a second embodiment of the invention utilizing a cam and spring arrangement;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the spring member utilized in the second embodiment; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the housings showing the cam surface utilized in the second embodiment.

A multi-pole relay 10 is shown assembled to the closed condition ready for use in FIG. 1 and partially disassembled to the open condition for servicing in FIG. 2.

The relay 10 includes a base member 12 having a cavity 12a in which a magnetic frame member, not shown, is secured and a coil, not shown, is disposed. Straddling and pivotally associated at the lower portions of the base member 12, as set forth in the Kane application, Ser. No. 66943, filed Aug. 26, 1970 and assigned to the present assignee, are a pair of identical bifurcated split housing members 14 and 16, the upper portions 14a and 16a, respectively, of which are arranged to overlay the cavity 12a when in the assembled condition. The housing members 14 and 16 support a plurality of terminal members 18 each of which include a fixed contact portion 18a and further support coil terminals l9. Disposed between the housing members 14 and 16 and arranged for association and relative inward and outward reciprocal movement therewith and with said base member 12 is an assembly 20 comprised of an armature, not shown, a bias plate 22 and a bifurcated moving contact carrier 24. A plurality of moving contact bridging bars 26 are supported by the moving contact carrier 24, and the extremities are arranged, with housing members 14 and 16 in the assembled condition, for association with a respective pair of fixed contact portions 18a to allow the switching function to take place. The moving contact carrier 24 and the armature, not shown, are suitably secured together with the bias plate 22 resiliently disposed therebetween for limited relative reciprocal movement therewith as will become apparent below.

In the assembled condition, as shown in FIG. 1, the bias plate 22 is seated on posts 12b and 12c of the base member 12 and overlaid by the upper portions 14a and 16a of the housing members 14 and 16, respectively, so as to be maintained as a prisoner therebetween. Further, in the assembled condition, leg portions 24a of the moving contact carrier 24 are guided in slots 12d of the base member 12 and between opposite guide surfaces 14b and 16b of the housing members 14 and 16, respectively, so as to allow for reciprocal movements of the carrier and the armature, not shown, toward and away from the magnetic frame, not shown, upon the energization and de-energization of the coil, not shown. Inward reciprocal movement of the moving contact carrier 24 from the at rest position, shown in FIG. 1, upon energization results in relative movement with the bias plate 22 and the generation of a return force caused by spring means, not shown, disposed therebetween being compressed. Consequently, outward reciprocal movement upon de-energization is provided by the return force. Such reciprocal movements of course-cause a change in the condition of the poles formed of the respective sets of fixed contact portions 18a and bridging bars 26.

With the relay in the partially disassembled condition as shown in FIG. 2, the assembly 20 and the electromagnetic structure, not shown, is arranged to be serviced by withdrawing the assembly from the relay in the plane of the reciprocal movements of the moving contact carrier 24.

The foregoing general description is merely to set a framework for the invention and as such forms no real part of it.

A prior art multi-pole relay 30, generally comparable to that of FIGS. 1 and 2, is shown in FIG. 3 and includes a base member 32 and a pair of split housing members 34 and 36 which support a plurality of terminal members 38 each of which include a fixed contact portion 38a. An assembly 40 including a moving contact carrier 44 which supports a plurality of moving contact bridging bars 46 is arranged for association with the base 32 and the housing members 34 and 36 so as to allow for a change in the condition of the poles formed of the respective sets of fixed contact portions 38a and bridging bars 46 in'the same manner as described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing member 34 is partially disassembled to the divergent open condition and the housing member 36 is assembled to the convergent closed position to illustrate the undesirable situation which can arise in such a relay due to misorientation of the bridging bars 36 with respect to the fixed contact portions 38a. Thus when the housing members 34 and 36 are partially disassembled, as the housing member 34 is shown, a force F, manual or otherwise, can be applied to the moving contact carrier 44 causing it to move from its at rest position and eventually bottom against, for example, a stop 32a provided on the base member 32. In this condition, a normally open bridging bar 36, which is arranged so as to normally engage the upper surface of fixed contact portions 38a upon energization of the coil, not" shown, is in fact so located as to be disposed and entrapped below the fixed contact portions 38a upon the housing members 34 and 36 being assembled, as represented by the showing of the housing member 36. It is evident that the fixed contact portions 38a and associated bridging bar 36 can not function as a normally open pole and in fact would provide a normally closed pole upon the force F being removed and the moving contact carrier 44 moving toward its at rest" position under the influence of the return force.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as FIGS 4 and 5, attention is drawn to my unique contribution for eliminating the problem encountered with prior art relays having split housings of the type just considered. Thus the housing members 14 and 16 which as indicated previously are identical, each include a protrusion of which only protrusion 16c of housing member 16 is shown, as that of housing member 14 is on the opposite side of the relay 10 as presented. For purposes of clarity, reference hereinafter will only be made to the protrusion 16c.

The protrusion is designed so as to be disposed in the path of the moving contact carrier 24 with the housing member 16 in the divergent open condition. This becomes quite apparent from an examination of FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The protrusion 16c is further designed so as to limit inward movement of the moving contact carrier 24 upon the application of a force F, manual or otherwise, being applied to the moving contact carrier and thus serves as a locating means for the carrier. Thus, referring to FIG. 4, it will be noted that with the housing member 16 in the divergent open condition, the moving contact carrier 24 is limited in its inward movement upon the application of force F by engagement of surface 24a of the moving contact carrier with the protrusion 16c. Upon movement of the housing member 16 toward the convergent closed condition, as shown in FIG. 5, surface 24b of the moving contact carrier 24 engages the protrusion 160. Because of the geometry involved, the moving contact carrier 24 is essentially in the same position with the remainder of the structure in both FIGS. 4 and 5. Upon further-convergent movement of the housing member 16 toward the closed condition from that shown in FIG. 5', protrusion 160 is rotated downwardly and out of the path, so as to allow further inward movement, of the moving contact carrier 24 under the influence of the force F. However, since the bridging bars 26 at this point overlap and are above the fixed contact portions 18a, no misorientation of the normally open poles can arise. Upon the housing members 14 and 16 attaining the convergent closed condition resulting in the relay 10 being assembled, as shown in FIG. 1, and the force F being removed, the moving contact carrier 24 returns to its at rest position with all of the poles in proper orientation and with the relay ready for use.

Another embodiment of my invention is disclosed in FIG. 6 where a relay 50 generally comparable to and operable in the same manner as that of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a base member 52, identical split housing members 54 and 56 and a moving contact carrier 58. A flat spring member 60, also shown in FIG. 7, is secured in a cantilever fashion to the bottom of base member 52 by a fastener, not shown, disposed through opening 60a. The spring member 60 includes two arms 60b and 600, the former of which is arranged to be disposed in the path of the moving contact carrier 58 when the housing'members 54 and 56 are in the divergent open condition, as shown, so as to limit inward movement of the moving contact carrier when under the influence of a force F, manual or otherwise, so as to serve as a locating means, and the latter of which is arranged to be acted upon by a cam surface 560 integrally formed on the inside of the leg 56b of the housing member 56 as best shown in FIG. 8. Of course, it is to be understood that a second flat spring is located on the opposite side of the base member 52 for association with the moving contact carrier 58 and engageable by a cam surface provided on the housing member 54 identical to the cam surface 56a provided on the housing member 56. However, for purposes of clarity, reference hereinafter will be made only to spring member 60 and cam surface 56a.

Upon movement of the housing members 54 and 56 toward the convergent closed condition, cam surface 56a of the housing 56 engages arm 60c and causes the spring member 60 to be pivotally moved by the camming action so that its upper extremities and particularly arm 60b is moved inwardly into a cavity, not shown, therebehind provided in the base member 52 for that purpose. As the movement of the housing member 56 continues to the convergent closed condition, the arm 60b is ultimately moved out of the path of inward movement of the moving contact carrier 58. This, however, does not take place until proper orientation of the. normally open poles of the relay 50 is assured as was the case with the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5.

The two embodiments of my inventions as disclosed above provide locating means in a relay of the split housing type for assuring proper orientation of the moving contacts of the moving contact carrier with the fixed contacts associated with the housings. Other forms of my invention are possible. Consequently, the scope of my contributions should be determined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A relay comprising: a base; a reciprocally movable carrier supporting bridging bar contacts; a pair of oppositely disposed similar split housings for association with said base each supporting fixed contacts for association with said bridging bars; said base and said housings in assembled condition encompassing said carrier so as to provide guidance thereto in its reciprocal movements from an at rest position initially toward and then away from said base and between said housings which result in changes in the condition of the relay contacts; said housings arranged to be divergently moved from each other and with respect to said base while still being associated therewith allowing for the introduction and the withdrawal of said carrier in the plane of said reciprocal movements into and from, respectively, said base-housings combination; and locating means for properly assemblying said carrier with respect to said housings so as to correctly orientate the bridging bars of said carrier with respect to the fixed contacts of said housings; said locating means associated with said base-housings combination and disposed in the path of said carrier so as to limit inward movement thereof when said housings are in the divergent open condition; said locating means being movable out of the path of said carrier upon movement of said housings to the convergent closed condition so as to allow normal inward movement of said carrier.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said locating means forms an integral part of at least one of said housings.

3. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein said housings are pivotally associated with said base and wherein said integral part is rotated into and rotated out of the path of said carrier upon divergent and convergent movement, respectively, of said housings.

4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said locating means comprises a resilient portion associated with one of said base or said housings, the other of said base or said housings including a cam portion for association with said resilient portion so as to allow said resilient portion to be in the path of said carrier when said housings are in the divergent open condition and so as to cam said resilient portion out of the path of said carrier when said housings are moved to the convergent closed condition.

5. The arrangement of claim 4 wherein said resilient portion is a flat spring member supported from said base.

6. The arrangement of claim 5 wherein said housings are pivotally associated with said base and wherein said flat spring member is a cantilever and pivotally moves into and out of the path of said carrier. 

1. A relay comprising: a base; a reciprocally movable carrier supporting bridging bar contacts; a pair of oppositely disposed similar split housings for association with said base each supporting fixed contacts for association with said bridging bars; said base and said housings in assembled condition encompassing said carrier so as to provide guidance thereto in its reciprocal movements from an ''''at rest'''' position initially toward and then away from said base and between said housings which result in changes in the condition of the relay contacts; said housings arranged to be divergently moved from each other and with respect to said base while still being associated therewith allowing for the introduction and the withdrawal of said carrier in the plane of said reciprocal movements into and from, respectively, said base-housings combination; and locating means for properly assemblying said carrier with respect to said housings so as to correctly orientate the bridging bars of said carrier with respect to the fixed contacts of said housings; said locating means associated with said base-housings combination and disposed in the path of said carrier so as to limit inward movement thereof when said housings are in the divergent open condition; said locating means being movable out of the path of said carrier upon movement of said housings to the convergent closed condition so as to allow normal inward movement of said carrier.
 2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said locating means forms an integral part of at least one of said housings.
 3. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein said housings are pivotally associated with said base and wherein said integral part is rotated into and rotated out of the path of said carrier upon divergent and convergent movement, respectively, of said housings.
 4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said locating means comprises a resilient portion associated with one of said base or said housings, the other of said base or said housings including a cam portion for association with said resilient portion so as to allow said resilient portion to be in the path of said carrier when said housings are in the divergent open condition and so as to cam said resilient portion out of the path of said carrier when said housings are moved to the convergent closed condition.
 5. The arrangement of claim 4 wherein said resilient portion is a flat spring member supported from said base.
 6. The arrangement of claim 5 wherein said housings are pivotally associated with said base and wherein said flat spring member is a cantilever and pivotally moves into and out of the path of said carrier. 